Vaporgenie Filter. Potential Risk?

Ok this is something I noticed long time ago, and has recently been brought up by another member in the Glass Vapor Genie thread.
It seems that over time that the VG can shrink, I have noticed this, and the other user also noticed this.
What is causing it to shrink? and if it is shrinking is it safe to inhale?
I originally brought this issue up with Vaporgenie themselves. I was assured that what I was seeing was not shrinkage and there is no possible way the filter can shrink.
I was adamant about the issue with them, and repeatedly told I was imaging things.
Now I see another user notice the same thing. So it makes me wonder, if in the long term, use of these ceramic filters to diffuse flame is not safe.
So my question is this. Has anyone else other than me and this other user notice that their filter seems to be smaller than it originally once was?

found this.

Science 5 April 1996:
Vol. 272 no. 5258 p. 30
DOI: 10.1126/science.272.5258.30

* Research News

Materials Science: Ceramic Shrinks When the Heat Goes On

1. Robert F. Service

Summary

It's hard to break the laws of physics, but sometimes one can bend the rules. Take the well-founded principle that more heat means more size: Added energyheatusually causes atoms to swing around more violently, taking up more space and causing materials to expand. But on page90 of this issue, a group of researchers describe a ceramic that's found a huge loophole in the rule: It steadily shrinks as the temperature rises over 1000 degrees. The slimming secret, the scientists say, is in the material's zirconium-tungsten-oxygen lattice.

Click to expand...

so, perhaps its not something you will end up inhaling however if it shrinks enough i can imagine it not insulating properly as designed. i use simple bic lighters to mine so perhaps those who use torch lighters see the shrinking more than i will.

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/272/5258/90

i dont have access to the full text or would provide it.

well.. for me the thing that made me notice the shrinkage is the surface of the filter no longer had that flat cut look. It started to develop hills and valleys.
I even seen one of the knock off brands, the vapor buddy, develop a hole in its filter. I chalk this one up to the ceramic filter being of inferior quality. But I did manage to see something similar happen to my classic VG just not to the scale is saw on the Vaporbuddy.

now if the filter was slowly shrinking away consistently I wouldn't be bothered. For me it was how inconsistent the shrinkage was that bothered me. Some parts would look like the never shrunk and less then a millimeter away you would see a noticeable depression. What was once a flat surface with sponge like holes eventually became and uneven surface with some parts visibly higher and lower than the rest.
Now I wish I never got rid of my classic so I could take pictures to show what I am talking about.

I currently have a VG bat. I don't use it as often as I once used to. I noticed my throat tends to be sore for a day or so when using this vape compared to my other vapes, so it doesn't go into rotation as much. This issue as has always been in the back of my mind but I've ignored it. Until I saw someone else remark on it, and it has brought it back to the front to me.

Interesting. I've been eyeing a glass VG for a while because I miss the feeling of using a pipe, but would anybody who's experienced this issue say it has the chance of making the vape not work properly after an extended period of time? If so, how much use would you expect to get out of it an has anyone ever had to replace the ceramic heating element?

https://www.vaporgenie.com/Replacement-Tops/

33 bucks for an entire top with filter. i hope to get plenty of use out of mine without needing to "repair/replace" anything.

this thread is very vg specific and might seem to be part of another thread, but i think the real issue is shared among all vapes that utilize some sort of ceramic piece.

im a pipe person as well and having used the glass now for a couple months i am very convinced of its effectiveness, even if the ceramic down the road will need replacing id probably just deal with it and bite the bullet.

those who have noticed the shrinking i am quite interested to know what type of lighter you use and how long you hit the top with the flame on each draw.

Have you VG users given any consideration to the Lotus as an alternative to the VG which would eliminate the ceramic filter?

well, they do use nickel and its possible if you vape enough and are allergic you could have issues. i read their site about how much is vaped off and how much you intake from "normal air" but i dont want any extra imho.

(some information on nickel exposure) fyi: did not mean to make this a "why i don't like xyz vaporizer", just trying to be complete about my response. never owned or used the lotus, perhaps its wonderful.

nothing is transferred with the ceramic and the only metal parts (ring and screen) are not heated very high since they are not the heating elements. id imagine with a torch though you might get the retaining clip pretty hot but not sure that type of metal will vape anything off with just a flame lighter.

lwien said:

Have you VG users given any consideration to the Lotus as an alternative to the VG which would eliminate the ceramic filter?

Click to expand...

the lotus is on my "Must Get" list because there is no ceramic filter in it. for my own personal preference I am slowly leaning towards not having any ceramic in any of my flame based vapes.

Devo [quote="DevoTheStrange said:

Ok this is something I noticed long time ago, and has recently been brought up by another member in the Glass Vapor Genie thread.
It seems that over time that the VG can shrink, I have noticed this, and the other user also noticed this.
What is causing it to shrink? and if it is shrinking is it safe to inhale?
I originally brought this issue up with Vaporgenie themselves. I was assured that what I was seeing was not shrinkage and there is no possible way the filter can shrink.
I was adamant about the issue with them, and repeatedly told I was imaging things.
Now I see another user notice the same thing. So it makes me wonder, if in the long term, use of these ceramic filters to diffuse flame is not safe.
So my question is this. Has anyone else other than me and this other user notice that their filter seems to be smaller than it originally once was?

Click to expand...

I was reading the owners manual and I
ange, manual: 144231, member: 783"]the lotus is on my "Must Get" list because there is no ceramic filter in it. for my own person

DevoTheStrange said:

the lotus is on my "Must Get" list because there is no ceramic filter in it. for my own personal preference I am slowly leaning towards not having any ceramic in any of my flame based vapes.

Click to expand...

DevoTheStrange said:

Ok this is something I noticed long time ago, and has recently been brought up by another member in the Glass Vapor Genie thread.
It seems that over time that the VG can shrink, I have noticed this, and the other user also noticed this.
What is causing it to shrink? and if it is shrinking is it safe to inhale?
I originally brought this issue up with Vaporgenie themselves. I was assured that what I was seeing was not shrinkage and there is no possible way the filter can shrink.
I was adamant about the issue with them, and repeatedly told I was imaging things.
Now I see another user notice the same thing. So it makes me wonder, if in the long term, use of these ceramic filters to diffuse flame is not safe.
So my question is this. Has anyone else other than me and this other user notice that their filter seems to be smaller than it originally once was?

Click to expand...

DevoTheStrange said:

the lotus is on my "Must Get" list because there is no ceramic filter in it. for my own personal preference I am slowly leaning towards not having any ceramic in any of my flame based vapes.

Click to expand...

DevoTheStrange said:

Ok this is something I noticed long time ago, and has recently been brought up by another member in the Glass Vapor Genie thread.
It seems that over time that the VG can shrink, I have noticed this, and the other user also noticed this.
What is causing it to shrink? and if it is shrinking is it safe to inhale?
I originally brought this issue up with Vaporgenie themselves. I was assured that what I was seeing was not shrinkage and there is no possible way the filter can shrink.
I was adamant about the issue with them, and repeatedly told I was imaging things.
Now I see another user notice the same thing. So it makes me wonder, if in the long term, use of these ceramic filters to diffuse flame is not safe.
So my question is this. Has anyone else other than me and this other user notice that their filter seems to be smaller than it originally once was?

Click to expand...

Vaper genie says I
ference I am slowly leaning towards not having any ceramic in any of my flame based vapes.[/quote]
I was reading my owners manual
: 144224, member: 783"]Ok this is something I noticed long time ago, and has recently been brought up by another member in the Glass Vapor Genie thread.
It seems that over time that the VG can shrink, I have noticed this, and the other user also noticed this.
What is causing it to shrink? and if it is shrinking is it safe to inhale?
I originally brought this issue up with Vaporgenie themselves. I was assured that what I was seeing was not shrinkage and there is no possible way the filter can shrink.
I was adamant about the issue with them, and repeatedly told I was imaging things.
Now I see another user notice the same thing. So it makes me wonder, if in the long term, use of these ceramic filters to diffuse flame is not safe.
So my question is this. Has anyone else other than me and this other user notice that their filter seems to be smaller than it originally once was?[/quote]
I was reading my owners manu